Team
Bringing Placer Artists Tour 2023 to you
Janet Nicholson
Program Co-Chair
Janet Nicholson has worked in partnership with her husband Rick since 1979 as Nicholson Blown Glass. 43 of those years have been spent on their property in Auburn. Janet has a deep passion for supporting art and culture in her community and beyond. She has participated in the Tour every year with Nicholson Blown Glass as well as served on steering committees. In 2021, she took on the continuation the Placer Artists Tour. She currently serves as Co-Chair for the Placer Artists Tour.
Janet@placerartiststour.org
Karen Killebrew
Program Co-Chair
Karen Killebrew is retired and lives in Applegate, CA.
She spent thirty years in the retail travel industry, and owned a travel agency in Oakland, CA for eighteen years.
Karen’s knowledge of sales and marketing led to her second career as a Marketing and Public Relations consultant, developing and implementing marketing and media plans for businesses and non-profit organizations.
She worked with the Arts Council of Placer County from 2006 to 2014 as a contractor and as a member of the staff. Projects included designing and implementing online programs including an Arts Calendar and Arts Directory, Website Content Management, Public Relations and Social Media.
She coordinated the Autumn Arts Studios Tour (now the Placer Artists Tour) in 2013 and 2014. She served on the Board of Trustees for ACPC from 2018 to 2021.
Karen@placerartiststour.org
Helen Phillips
Tour Founder
Helen Phillips started the Autumn Art Studios Tour (renamed Placer Artists Tour) in 1994 and chaired it for the first three years. She has worked on the steering committee for most of the 30 years and has watched it become a major event, attracting art lovers from all over the state and beyond.
She has been described as a master batik artist, having worked in that medium for over 40 years. Her travels in Europe, Africa, Canada, Mexico, Alaska and Hawaii have produced architectural pieces, native designs, large floral pieces and wild
life.
Mrs. Phillips’ work is in private collections, throughout the United States and Europe, and has won over 50 awards. She has been in shows in both the Crocker Art Museum
and the Oakland Museum.
“I live in a world where my visions become a reality. This is about as exciting as it gets”.
Education: University of the State of New York, Oneonta, NY BS in English and Science
UC Berkeley Graduate Studies
hwpbatik@gmail.com
Stewart Feldman
Secretary
Stewart works as a consultant in communications, marketing and public relations. A former muralist, he directed community art projects under California Arts Council grant programs.
He has served as a director of the Placer County Resource Conservation District and Coordinator of the Placer County Fire Safe Alliance, where he was involved in grant writing and implementation.
Stewart currently serves on the board of two additional nonprofit organizations: the Meadow Vista Community Center Board and the Cancer Hope and Support Group.
Stewart@placerartiststour.org
Janet Paehlig
Treasurer
Janet Paehlig is retired and lives in Auburn. She spent 30 years as a Law Firm Administrator in the Bay Area.
When she moved to Auburn in 2006 she became involved as an artist in the Placer Artists Tour. She has worked on many committees to help put on the Tour each year, including being the Sponsorship Chair and a member of the Steering Committee for the past eight years. Presently she serves as Treasurer for the Placer Artists Tour.
She has been a member and served on the Board of Soroptimists International of Historic Auburn and Auburn Friends of the Library as Noon Program Chair.
Janet also has a few in-home care clients. The elderly and disabled can not be forgotten.
Treasurer@placerartiststour.org
Cindy Strickland
Endowment Chair
I’ve had the joy of experiencing the Placer Artists Tour for 29yrs. I was so inspired by visiting artists in their working studios and hearing their stories of creativity that I decided to start ArtWorks, an art consulting business so that I could represent artists and bring their work to residential and commercial clients to enjoy.
Our community has such an abundance of amazing artists and The Placer Artists Tour celebrates and connects artists and art enthusiasts with new discoveries every year.
I am grateful for the opportunity to serve on the Board as the Endowment Chair and help build a lasting fund to keep the Placer Artists Tour viable for decades to come.
Cindy@placerartiststour.org
Rebecca Martinez
Communications Director
“The Tour is near and dear to my heart. I’m an on-again, off-again participant. But I’ve enjoyed helping out behind the scenes since about 2002. I guess that makes me a certain kind of veteran!
It’s exciting to see what new artists and artwork have arrived on the art scene in Placer County.”
admin@placerartiststour.org
Trisa Swerdlow
Marketing Director
“Before my first year as a participating artist in 2015, I was an enthusiastic attendee of the Placer Artists Tour.
In the past seven years I have worked in a variety of roles to help produce the tour.
I am excited to join the staff as the Tour’s Marketing Director and look forward to doing everything I can to help the tour grow stronger.”
marketing@placerartiststour.org
Gini Crepps
Designer
A native Californian, I have lived in the Sacramento area for over 40 years. I have been a graphic designer since 1975, and am currently the owner of IQ Design, Inc. where I combine my artistic passion with the business of art.
Past president of Rocklin Fine Arts, I have participated in the Placer Arts Studio Tour, the Art Trek Studio tour, and have been an award winner at several regional shows, judged at the California State Fair Student Graphics venue, Western States Horse Expo Art Show, Vacaville Art League, Lincoln Arts, and led several critique groups and what I call “motivational demos.”
I currently am represented at
High Hand Gallery in Loomis,
Auburn Old Town Gallery in Auburn and Lincoln Art League, Lincoln, CA
gcrepps@gmail.com
Cultural equity
Placer Artists Tour, board and staff encourage cultural equity and support artists of all backgrounds to join the Tour. Cultural equity is crucial to the future health of arts in our communities. Everyone, including but not limited to those who have been historically under represented, deserves access to a full creative life and an opportunity to share with the public on the Placer Artist Tour.